New Year’s Resolutions: Living Greener

It’s that time of year when we look back, and ahead, and make those New Year’s resolutions. Before the holidays, I asked everyone in the office to share their green resolutions for the New Year, and I expected a few sighs or some eye rolling, but everyone was forthcoming and enthusiastic about their do-good goals. (You can see the list here.)

One year I believed myself to be very clever by resolving to make no resolutions—explaining to anyone who would listen that it was too easy for people to make empty and bold claims about what they will change when they would inevitably and quickly fall back into old patterns (it was a cynical year), but now I embrace any chance to make self-improvements. One of my goals this year is to eat better, and I will do this by basing my diet on seasonal produce that’s grown locally (and, of course, organically). I have started doing this already since I’ve made going to the farmers’ markets a weekly ritual, and I was more inspired to commit to this resolution following a chat I had with Amelia Saltsman for “Behind the Green Scenes,” a feature we posted around the time she released The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook. The truth is there is no excuse not to eat locally and sustainably when it’s possible to get almost everything from farmers’ markets and eat out at restaurants that have menus based on local options. To help me with this, I’m going to use the new Alice Waters cooking tome, The Art of Simple Food. I followed my own advice by buying the book, which we had recommended for the Greenopia gift guide; I had it in my hand to buy for a foodie friend and bought two copies—one for her and one for me— and I have already used it for advice and recipes. Best of all: I don’t have to sacrifice taste, and I plan on a year of eating food that is as delicious as it is eco-friendly.